Distributing apparatus



April 9 J. g. BUSHNELL 1,853,546

DI STRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 6, 1928 70%; O a 2;;- H

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1: N gwvemco'c QM msMjma Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE JAMES E. BUSHNELL, or NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY; ASSIGNOR T msomn concnnrn MACHINERY COMPANY, or PLAINFIELI), NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Application filed December 6, 1928. Serial No, 324,127.

The present improvements relate to distributing apparatus and more particularly to that type of apparatuswherein freshly mixed concrete is placed by means of a boom and bucket construction.

Devices of this general character, known as concrete pavers, commonly employ a projecting boomupon which a dumping bucket travels, the latter transporting the freshly mixed concrete from the mixer to the point of placement. Due to the fluent character of the concrete and for other reasons, this distributing arrangement extends laterally of the mixer in a horizontal plane so that the bucket will constantly be on an even keel and thus avoid slopping over. In practice, an appa-' ratus. of the foregoing description encounters grades and uneven terrain, wherein the boom andbucket follow the inclination of the paver unit proper with the attendant tilting of the bncketand the consequent reduction ofits capacity, as well as slopping over.

The present improvements have as their primary object, amongothers, the provision of apaver unit which will functionefliciently under the aforementioned or other similar adverse conditions encountered in thefield. A further objectis to provide a paver unit wherein the boom is adjustable and may be placed in a plurality of positions. 1A still further object is to providean adjustable bucket which may be adjusted to remainlevel irrespective of the inclination of the boom or paver and thus compensate forsuchabnor- 5 mal conditions. v Y

J Other objects and advantages-will be apparent to those skilled in'fthe artupon reference to the accompanying specification-and drawings in which i Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a paver unit embodying the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is anenlarged front view of the bucket carriage; I Fig. 3 islan enlarged front v1ew of the bucket adjusting means, and

Fig. at is aside view of'the means shownin Fig. 3, indicating its relation to the boom. v Referring to the drawings, a portablemixing apparatus is illustrated comprising a mixer drum' 5','tracti'on means 6, supporting frame 7, discharge chute 8, projecting boom 9 and distributing bucket 10. The boom '9 is mounted adjacent 'its inner'end on the frame 7 in any suitable manner as, for example, by saddle 11. A horizontally disposed pivot 12 serves to connect the boomtothe saddle and the latter has a vertically disposed swivel connection 13 withthe main frame 7 whereby universal m'ovementof the boom is afforded. Anyconvenientmeans such as eable 34 passing over'suitably arranged sheaves to a power drum may be provided for elevating and lowering the boomabout the axis 12,

and for'liol ding said boom in any angular position. I V

' Interposed between the boom 9and bucket 10 is a bucket carriage 14: having rollers 15, 15, which latter fit on the track of the boom and aflord traction means'for the carriage and suspended bucket when the boom is disposed in a level or horizontal position. A

cable 16 passing over suitable sheaves to a' power drum is provided for'accomplishing outward travel of the bucket and carriage, and a similarcable (not shown) may be provided for returning same to charging posi-' tion adj went the mixer.

The bucket 10 is of w'ellknown type, havingJa latch mechanism 17 for holding its dumping-doors 18 closed,fthe latch 17 being trippedandthe doors released by cami19 on theouter portion of'boom 9. Upon inward travelof the bucket and t'zarriage, acam'20 automatically"restores; the latchmechanismv It is'understood that when'thej apparatus l7 and doors 18 :to closing position.

is operating onthe level, the boom 9 is horizontally disposed andthebucket and carriage travel along same on rollers 15, 15as is well known in paving machines However, in the eventthat the paver unit is not resting'on aneven keel or should the boom 9 be elevated, an adjusting means for the bucket is provided and in case suchmeans is employed, the rollers 15- of the carriage 14 are idle or removed.

The adjusting means selected for illus tration comprises abracket 21 adapted to cooperate with the front face 22 of the carriage 14. Thisbraeket member 21 is of chans 7 7 Q), use on. level terrain, should the traction ele'- p as nel form, the sides 21' adding strength and rigidity to the member as well as providing an attachment means for spaced ears 23, which latter are provided adjacent their ends,'with stub shafts for loosely supporting rollers 24. As in the case of rollers 15, 15, these rollers 24 are adapted to travel on the tracks provided by the channel-shaped boom 9. The upper face of bracket 21 is providedv with a sheave 25 for receiving power cable 16. The face of the bracket '21 is provided with a plurality of spaced aligned holes 25 and 26 adjacent the edges of the bracket,as

illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. Referringto Fig. 2, it will be seen that the front face 22 29 passing through registering apertures 25 and 27, and 26 and 28 respectively. 'The foregoing construction ,a ords a very rigid and stable Inounting for the bucket so that it is always held in rigid angular relation to the boom, irrespective of the position of the latter. Proper operationof the mechanical means foropening and closing the bottom doors of the bucket and prevention of a swinging bucket striking against the mixing machineor otherobstructions require that the bucket be held. in such rigid relation tothe boom. Other forms of adjusting means may be employed. For example, a threaded rod and hand wheel on the carriage cooperating with a threaded nut on the bracket may be substituted.

A feature of importance attending the present improvements resides in the adaptability of the device for use under varying con ditions. -For. example,the apparatus may be usedas the usual type of paver construction, with theboom 9 in horizontal position and the bucket and carriage travelingtherealong on rollers 15. and 15. =Accompanying such '7 .ments 6 encounter uneven ground and thus incline the boom 9 upwardly, such inclination can be compensated for by lowering the forward face 22 of the carriageand utilizing bracket 21 and rollers 24, and thus retaining bucket 20 in a level condition. Consequently the reciprocating travel of the bucket may continue as beforewithout slopping over of the contents,or reduction of the bucket capacity due to the fluent concrete seeking its own level; Likewise, this usual pavercon- 'struction, with the present improvements added, maybe converted into an inclined boom construction. -Where itis desirable to 7 place theconcrete ata higher level than that at which the usual paver operates, it is only necessary'to elevate the boom 9 (by cable 34 or other means) to the desired height, adjust the bracket 21 and carriage 14 by appropriately inserting bolts 29 so that bucket 10 remains level and operations may proceed as before without danger of reduction of capacity or loss of contents of the bucket.

It is apparent that when the apparatus is employed under the circumstancesjust described, a return cable for the bucket and carriage will not be brought into play 'since the carriage 14 will return from the outer portion of the boom to the charging position adj acent'th'e mixer by gravity. In order to check the shock of the returning carriage and bucketto charging position, springs 30 are provided atthe inner end of theboom, as

illustrated.

After use, as an inclined boom construction, the same is, readilyconvertible into the usual paver for employment on the level,.by lowering boom 9 tothe horizontal, dispensing with bracket 21', and utilizing'rollers 15, 15', e

Obviously the present improvements do not sacrifice any advantage or utility of the usual horizontal paver but retain same, and add thereto features of utility which increase the scope of utility of a device of this charv acter. Accordingly, the apparatus may distribute material laterally of the mixer, since the boom is movable about the vertical axis 13, or at elevations, as previously described. The apparatus is therefore not limited to paving operations, but embodies a construction unit for fbuildingor other purposes. The specific type of bucket employed may be varied. or example, under certain circum'stanc'es it may be desirable tomount a roll-over bucket on the'adjustable carriage 14, such bucket beingarranged to dump by gravity when unlatched at the desired point along the boom and. returning to its normal 7 level latched position by avity'w'hen empty.

Furthermore, it is un erstood that the em: bodiment shown, illustrates only one, of a plurality of applications of the presentimprovements. For example,'it is proposed to modify the construction whereby the bucket may be adjusted to travel in a substantially level condition regardless of the. inclination ofthe boom. Where conditions require that the boom be depressed below the horizontal, the present improvements are adapted for adjustment to maintain the moving bucket level throughout its travel. 1

Various other modifications, fw'ithin the scope of the present improvements will occur to those skilled in the art, and are deemed tofbe within 'Iclaim: 7

A paver unit including a laterally extendthe purview of the invention.

.ing distributing boom having a universal pivotal mounting for disposing same in angular horizontal or vertically inclined positions, a carriage mounted for travel along said boom, a portion of said carriage having a distributing bucket rigidly supported thereon,

another portion of said carriage having roll-- Jersey.

JAMES E. BUSHNELL. 

